Ivy Tech Lafayette Offering New Horticulture Class

February 14, 2022

Registration is now open for Ivy Tech’s new horticulture class.

The eight-week course, called Survey of Horticulture, beings March 23 on the Lafayette campus.

The Department Chair of Agriculture and Precision Agriculture Equipment Technology at Ivy Tech Lafayette, Kraig Bowers, says the class will cover a variety of topics.

“Anything related to plant production and horticulture practices, especially with ornamental plants,” said Bowers. “That includes in the greenhouse and also from a landscape and design standpoint as well.”

Bowers says the University decided to offer the class after seeing a rising demand for a horticulture related class.

“We’ve been getting calls over the last few years since I came to Ivy Tech as a program chair a few years ago from people in the community that were interested in a horticulture class and we just

By offering the new horticulture class, Bowers says it will prepare students for their future careers.

“Right now there’s a really high demand for employees and workers in the agriculture industry,” said Bowers. “We’re constantly getting phone calls, whether it’s ag businesses or ag producers that are looking for employees.”

Bowers believes the University is doing its part as a campus to get students prepared for the industry.

“At Ivy Tech it’s our goal to kind of bridge that gap and find people that want to get into the industry,” said Bowers. “We offer them a chance at an education and a background in that before they go into that workforce.”

Bowers believes the new Survey of Horticulture class will teach students how to identify ornamental plants, grow them, and also use them within landscape.

“We offer them a chance at an education and a background in that before they go into that workforce,” said Bowers. “Whether they want to go the traditional four year route, or come to Ivy Tech and transfer to different institution, or whether they just want to do the applied Associate’s Degree and go immediately into the agriculture workforce.”

There are no prerequisites for this class.

“This is just an attempt to focus a little bit more on a different segment of the agriculture industry that we maybe haven’t focused on before at this campus to provide some of that horticulture programing for people who are interested in taking a class.”

Original Article by Marlee Thomas/WLFI